NOTE: THIS PRESS RELEASE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE BOHOL CHRONICLE’S SUNDAY PRINT EDITION.
First District representative Edgar Chatto lauded international partners in separate meetings.
Chatto met with the Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Steven Robinson. Over dinner, they discussed Bohol-Australia relations, prominently featured in Lawig sa Pagdumala, a chronicle of Chatto’s 9 year-term stint as governor, which Chatto handed as a token.
Australia has been a long-time partner of the province in development programs such as in governance through road reform through the Provincial Road Management Facility (PRMF). The Bohol experience, later on, became the basis for the Kalsada program, now the Conditional Matching Grant Program, which grants national funding for local roads.
The Provincial Government also benefitted from human resource development through the Philippines-Australia Human Resource Development Facility (PARHDF) in addition to numerous AusAID relief and technical assistance programs.
Last Tuesday, October 26, Chatto received the German Ambassador to the Philippines Her Excellency Anke Reiffenstuel at the former’s Capitol office. They discussed governance, economic aspects in the province where a majority of foreign residents are German.
Chatto presented to the ambassadors a copy of the coffee table book as well as a bag full of Balilihan products made by the Balilihan Association of Women for Development (BAWOD).
The following day, Chatto came together with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative Dr. Selva Ramachandran together with Development for Renewable Energy Application Mainstreaming and Market Sustainability (DREAMS) UNDP project Manager Ric Torres, and UNDP Climate Action Team’s Gwen Palmes over dinner to discuss renewable energy prospects for Bohol.
The UNDP team was here together with Department of Energy (DOE) Visayas Field Office-Division Chief Lourdes Arciaga, and WeGen President Charlie Ayco for the completed expansion of the solar power installation in Pamilacan Island in Baclayon.
Meanwhile, on Friday, Chatto graced the launching of universal health care implementation in the province with DOH Regional Director Dr. Jaime Bernadas, the Provincial Government led by Gov. Art Yap, and Philhealth represented by Margarita Maria Pestillos together with mayors, hospital chiefs, and health officers.
The health reforms program also received technical support from the USAID ReachHealth in the shift to primary care which entails strengthening of local health systems.
“”We value our partnerships with development institutions who are assisting Bohol towards further growth and in its recovery from the pandemic,” Chatto said.